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I have been thinking about my late great Barbra friend Allison J. Waldman a lot lately. One reason is that when there is ANY Streisand news, Allison would be all over it, finding out the details and particulars like a bee swarming honey! Allison would be tickled pink that Barbra has announced that she is working on her autobiography! As an author, Allison could turn a phrase and use her quick wit to engage her audience. 

One of my favorite Barbra books is “The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook” by Allison from 1994. Barbra’s concert tour was completed that previous summer and the buzz for Barbra was at a peak. Fans couldn’t get enough and I was one of them. Allison added my name to long list of people who connected with her through Barbra and it was a thrill to be mentioned. 

We met through a couple of mutual friends and became Barbra phone pals. She was on the East Coast and I was in the West, but because she was a night owl, we would chat long into the early morning hours about Streisand movies, music and the latest happenings. This was before the internet took hold and we had a great idea of starting a fan group on AOL. It was a place where fans shared their love of Barbra. It was a new world of sharing, since fellow Barbra fans were often alone in their admiration.

Allison also began writing “The Barbra File” filled with tidbits and more on Barbra. It was mailed monthly and included a collector’s photograph of Barbra. How I looked forward to reading the latest Barbra news when I received my copy in the mail box. She put a quarterly ad in my “i love barbra Catalog” with subscription info as well, to be able to reach fellow fans far and wide!

We also were connected by the Barbra fan conventions. The first one was held in San Rafael, CA, my hometown and over fifty dedicated fans from around the USA and world converged on the Holiday Inn for EVERYTHING Barbra! We even had a declaration given by the Mayor of San Rafael, as BARBRA STREISAND DAY. What fun it was!

Allison went on to write another beautiful book called “Barbra Memories” filled with fan stories, many of whom were there in San Rafael and other conventions from New York and Malibu. More on that in an upcoming blog post.

Until then, I leave you with a smile on my face thinking about my dear friend, Allison J. Waldman. She would be getting so excited about the book that Barbra is writing, I just know it!

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Don’t forget to visit my website dedicated to all things Barbra Streisand: ilovebarbra.com